Jontay Porter gambling investigation could lead to expulsion from NBA – NBC New York

Toronto's Jontay Porter could face expulsion from the league if gambling allegations against him are found to be true, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday.

Silver did not provide details of the Porter investigation after a two-day meeting of the league's Board of Governors, other than to say the investigation is ongoing. Porter hasn't played since the league said it was reviewing betting patterns surrounding his on-court performance.

“I have a tremendous range of discipline at my disposal,” Silver said. “It is a mortal sin that he is accused of in the NBA.” The ultimate option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here, because there’s nothing more serious.”

ESPN first reported the investigation, which reportedly involved Porter's performance in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. In both games, Porter played briefly before exiting, citing injury or illness – and didn't come close to the numbers offered to bettors as side bets in those contests. This means that those who basically bet against Porter would have won money because he left those games before reaching the limits set by the sportsbooks for his points and rebounds in those contests.

Some sportsbooks said they were made aware of strange betting patterns related to Porter prop offerings at those games, meaning the league — which has business relationships with many betting companies — likely received the same information.

“I mean, it's not new that there is unsavory, even illegal behavior surrounding sports betting,” Silver said. “I think my point is that to the extent that it will exist, in a regulated environment you will have a better chance of detecting it than if all bets were placed illegally.”

Porter was listed as out for the 10th straight game against the Nets in Brooklyn on Wednesday, with the team citing personal reasons. The Raptors finish the season with games at Miami on Friday and Sunday. Porter's absence began almost simultaneously with the revelation that the NBA was investigating betting patterns surrounding his games.